Air-circulation valve in the supporting surfaces of aeroplanes



April 28, 1936. IF. MAZZINI 2,039,179

AIR CIRCULATION VALVE IN THE SUPPORTING SURFACES OF AEROPLANES Filed June 29, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ziwgwav iik gzhz April 28, 1936.

F. MAZZINI AIR CIRCULATION VALVE IN THE SUPPORTINGSURFACES OF AEROPLANES' Filed Jun 29, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Patented Apr. 28, 1936 am omoourron VALVE m 'rnn sorroa'rma summons or maorumcs Franco Malibu, Milan, Italy Application 'l'he development of aeronautical construction has led to an improvement in aerodynamic form of aeroplanes and to a considerable increase in the surface loading -of their supporting planes.

In consequence it is necessary to provide aerodynamic braking arrangements which enable the landing speed to be reduced towithin the limits of safety. The object "of the present invention is to attain this result by means of the simple rocking of a valve device arranged longitudinally of an opening formed longitudinally of the wing, and enclosed in the interior of the said wing in such a manner as to enable, at any desired in.-

stant, a circulation of air to be established between the lower surface and the upper surface, which produces a considerable increase in drag and an "appreciable reduction in landing speed. while maintaining, and even increasing, the lift.

To accomplislr this object, valves are employed which are adapted to fit in openings leading from the lower surface to .the upper surface of the wings of aeroplanes, and which are formed by an element movable under the influence of a suit- '''able control device, the, elenient occupying substantially the full depth of the opening. and being so formed thatin one extreme position it completely closes the said opening, while in the other extreme position it provides awholly unobstructed passage through the opening, having smooth andproperly formed boundaries,

which guides the stream of air without causingsudden changes of section or direction.

The invention depends essentially on the factthat during normal flight the valve device conformsexactly to the outer profile of the wing and does not alter its aerodynamic performance.

The .v ve can be opened at any Sp ed Of the mac ne (that is to say, corresponding to any the chord length, measured from the leading edge, in view of the fact that in the ordinary construction there are no obstructions (principal structural members, controls, andso forth) at this position. The valve device is applicable June 29, 1934, Serial No. 133,133 In Italy JuIy 5, 1933 i I c Olaims.- "(01. 244-12) to wings of various in diflerent ways. Figure 1 is a more or lessdiagrammatic sectional view of an airfoil having a valve constructed in accordance with the present invention. 5 Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modified form of the invention. Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig. 1 showing various mqdifications'.

sections, and it canbe formed Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view in section of 10 the structure shown in Fig. 1.' I

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailview in section of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are views similar to Fig.1 showing further modifications of, the invention. 15

In Fig. 1 there is shown a wing W having a' slot S extending longitudinally thereof and providing a passage for the flow of air from the lower surface of the wing to the upper surface. A

valve body 6 is positioned within the slot 8 for rocking movement about the axis of shaft 4 by which the movement is effected. The valve body 6 is of shell construction'open at its upper and lower ends. In its open position the .upper and L 1 wer open ends of the valve body register with 5 't eupper and lower ends, respectively, of. the

slot or passage S. When in its closed position the valve body 6 is rocked ,to the location indi- 1 cated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and as shown in Fig. 5 a cover I for the opening in the lower surface of the wing is shifted by linkage 8, 9 to its closing position.

i The passage through the valve body 6 is of varying cross-section and is curved at its upper end toward the rear. v I

In Figs. 2 and 6 a modified formof construction is shown. In this form of invention the closure 1' for the opening in the lower surface of the wing is carried by the valve body and the rear wall of the passage through the valve body 40 is extended to provide a scoop III which projects below the lower surface of the wing when the. valve body is in open position. When the valve is in open position, the scoop deflects air flowing under the lower surface of the wing into and through the passage provided in the valve body. 'A slight modification of the structure of Fig. 2 is shown in Fig. 3. The pivot 4 in the structure of Fig. 3, is lobated on the forward wall of slot S '50 and the closure 1' is of increased width to properly close the opening in the lower surface of the wins.

9A structure somewhat similar to that of Fig. 1 is shown in Fig. 4. In Fig. 4, however, the pivot 5 4 is positioned on the lower portion of the rearwall of slot 8.,

' The invention may be carried into practice by simpler means, employing. a valve element formed by a simple smooth plate, suitably curved, hinged at one of its edges close to the edge of one of the mouths of the through passage or slot in which it is accommodated, and so arranged that in its open position it forms, with the surface of the said passage which is opposite the hinge,

constructional forms in which the hinge is disi posed at the top (Figs. 7 and 8), or at the bottom (Fig. 9), and which in the case'of Fig. 8 is also provided with thescoop projection. In these three constructional forms, which may be considered the most interesting in view of their simplicity, the valve is accommodated in a through passage S bounded by smooth walls 4 and 2; forming a duct, narrowing upwards and curved rearwards. The plate forminglthe valve has a profile the same as that of the wall to which it is hinged, so that in its closed position this plate 3 occupies the position 3', against the o p site wall i, so as toobstructthe passage. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the projection 5 assumes the position 5' when. it is concealed in the body of the wing.

Otheranalogous arrangements maybe adopted without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An aeroplane wing having a laterally elongated opening leading from the lower to the upper surface thereof, a tube with its inner walls smooth and free from abrupt changes in direction,'said tube being pivotally mounted about a laterallyextending axis adjacent tcone of said surfaces, disposed in said opening, and occupying substantially the full depth thereof, said opening having a lateral recess adapted to accommodate the end of said tube remote from said axis, and control means operable for rocking said tube sons to bring said last-mentioned end alternativelyinto said recess and into register with the-end of said opening in the adjacent wing '2; An ewlng according to claim 10, in which the In! wall of the tube is extended to form an-air scoop capable of engaging air flowing over said lower surface and directing it into said pamge when the'tube registers with the opening. a A v a i 3. An aeroplane wing having a laterally elongated opening leading from the lower to the upper surface thereof, atube with its inner walls smooth vand free'from abrupt changes in direction, said tube being'pivotally mounted about a laterally extending axis adjacent the upper surface, disposed in said opening and occupying "substantially the full depth thereof, said "openinghaving a lateral recess formed in the front wall thereof adapted to accommodate the lower end of said tube, and'contr'ol means operable for rocking saidttube so as to bring said lower end of the tube alternately into said recess and into register with the end of the opening in the lower surface of the wing.

' 4. An aeroplane wing having a laterally elongated opening leading from the lower to the uper. surface thereof, a tube with its inner walls smoothand free from abrupt changes in direction, said tube being pivotally mounted about a laterally extending axis adjacent the upper surface, disposed in said opening and occupying subs'tantially'the full depth thereof, said openinghaving a lateral recess formed in the front wall thereof adapted to accommodate the lower end of said tube, control means operable for rocking saidtube so as to bring said lower end of the tube alternately into said recess and into register with the end of the opening in the lower surface of the wing, the lower portion of the rear wall of the tube being extended to form an air scoop for deflecting air flowing over the lower surface of the wing into said tube when'in register with said lower wing surface opening, and means 'carried by said lower extended portion ,of

the rear wall for closing the opening in the lower wing surface when the lower end of said tube is in said recess.

5. An aeroplane wing having a laterally elongated opening, leading from the lower to the tion, said tube being pivotally mounted about a laterally extending axis adjacent the upper surface, disposed in said opening and occupying substantially the full depth thereof, said opening having a lateral recess formed in the front wall -upper surface thereof, a tube with its inner ,walls smooth and free. from, abrupt changes in direc thereof adapted to accommodate the lower end of said tube, control meansoperable for rock-' surface of the wing, the lower portion of the rear wall of the tube being extended to form an air scoop for deflecting air flowing over the 'lower surface of the wing into said tubewhen in register with said lower wing surface opening, means carried by said lower, extended portion of the fear wall for closing, the opening in the lower wing surface when the lower end of said tube is in said recess, and the rear wall of said laterally elongated opening having a recess formed therein to accommodate the closing meanswhen the lower end of the tube is in register with the opening in thelower surface of the wihg. .7 6. An aeroplanewing having a laterally elongated opening leading from the lower to the upper surface thereof, a tube with its inner walls smooth and ree from abrupt ,changes in direction, said tu e being pivotally mounted about a laterally extending axis adjacent the lower surface; disposed in said opening and occupying substantially the full depth thereof, said opening having a lateral recess formed in the rear wall thereof adapted to accommodate the upper end of said tube, and control means for rocking said tube so as to bring the upper end thereof alternately into said recess and into register 'with the endof the opening in the upper surface of the wing.

' FRANCO MAZZINI. 

